In a new study published in the journal Lancet Planetary Health, researchers have discovered that babies already have air pollution particles in their lungs even before taking their first breath.
Research Findings on Pregnant Women Exposed to Air Pollution
According to Telegraph, fourteen fetuses aborted between weeks seven and 20 of normally progressing pregnancies were evaluated by researchers at the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom and Hasselt University in Belgium.
All the fetuses contained black carbon particles in their placentas, livers, lungs, and brains, indicating that the pollution had already begun to affect them during the first trimester.
The findings may help to explain why prenatal pollution exposure is associated with adverse health outcomes in infants, such as low birth weight and asthma, as developing organs are more sensitive.
The scientists also looked at 60 mother-newborn pairings and discovered black carbon particles in the placenta, cord, and maternal blood. The outcomes, according to experts, are very worrying.
The Danger of Acquiring Nanoparticle Soot in the Womb
Translational Medical Sciences at the University of Aberdeen Professor Paul Fowler stated that everyone was concerned that if nanoparticles entered the fetus, they would impact its growth in the womb.
He claimed that the research has demonstrated for the first time that black carbon air pollution nanoparticles enter the growing fetus' liver and lungs in addition to the placenta during the first and second trimesters.
The fact that these black carbon particles also enter the growing human brain, he continued, is even more concerning. This implies that these nanoparticles have the potential to engage directly with the regulatory mechanisms that control the organs and cells of the human fetus.
Long-Term Effects on Black Carbon Exposure
Black carbon is a sooty black substance discharged into the air by fossil fuel-burning sources such as internal combustion engines, coal-fired power plants, and other sources.
Long-term health effects from air pollution caused by human activity include heart disease and lung cancer. Between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths are attributed to it annually in Britain.
The latest study, however, suggests that it might also be having an effect early in life.
According to Hasselt University professor Tim Nawrot, exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and early childhood has been associated with stillbirth, preterm birth, low birth weight newborns, and abnormal brain development, with long-term effects.
According to him, this study demonstrates that the amount of black carbon particles that enter the mother is proportionally transferred to the placenta and the fetus. It follows that laws governing air quality should acknowledge this transfer during pregnancy and take appropriate action to safeguard the most vulnerable phases of human development.
ALSO READ: Inhaling Air Pollution Harms Your Brain Directly, Here's How
Early Studies
Queen Mary University of London's Jonathan Grigg and colleagues discovered the first air pollution particles in placentas in 2018. He claimed that the current study is excellent because it has convincingly demonstrated how the particles enter the fetuses.
According to Grigg, particles entering the brains of fetuses raise the stakes because they may have long-term effects on the child. It's concerning, but they don't yet understand what occurs when the particles settle in different places and gradually release their compounds, requiring additional study.
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